Southern Miss Football

Every day here at Your Best 11, we are counting down to the start of the regular season with our top 150 players for the 2012 season.

No. 119: Tracy Lampley, No. 1, Southern Mississippi, Wide Receiver

Last season, the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss were a couple upsets away from going undefeated. Unexpected losses to Marshall and UAB were the only blemishes on what was a bell cow season for Larry Fedora and the folks in Hattiesburg. Now, Larry Fedora is gone for North Carolina and quarterback Austin Davis is out of eligibility. That leaves new coach Ellis Johnson to keep the always successful Golden Eagles on the right track at The Rock. Mr. Everything, Tracy Lampley is certain to be a key player in this push for success.

Strengths

There is not much that Lampley does not excel at on the football field. Under Larry Fedora in 2011, Lampley was able to amass 1,037 yards of total offense and another 761 yards in returns. Seven touchdowns on offense and another punt return touchdown in his junior season. Tracy Lampley is a tough kid; he is a bit of a poor man's Percy Harvin. He runs the ball tough between the tackles and is still comfortable getting out on the edge and using his speed to run past defenders and exploit mismatches.

Lampley catches the ball very well. He uses his hands and reels the ball in safely, hence the 47 catches in 2011. Lampley also has a knack for getting open against both zone and man coverages. He can out sprint bigger defenders, and he is shifty enough to find holes in zones against defensive backs.

Weaknesses

The weaknesses for Lampley will not be of his doing for the 2012 season. Ricky Bustle is the new offensive coordinator, and how he plans on maximizing the 5'9" senior is going to tell the tale of Lampley's success. Ellis Johnson is saying the right things about getting the ball into his playmakers hands, but the defensive-minded head coach will have to show and prove beyond just the spring game where Lampley put on a show. The unknown going into 2012 makes watching Lampley quite interesting, as he is a player that needs close to 10 touches a game.

2012 Predictions

After being an honorable mention All-Conference USA as a wide receiver in 2011, the rising senior is set to put his name on the squad in 2012. His teammates, especially first-year starter Chris Campbell, will be looking to him to be a key contributor on this Southern Miss offense. After a season that proved Lampley was capable of doing everything, the onus is on Bustle and Johnson to make sure that he is getting his touches in 2012.

While the senior campaign will not boast gaudy statistics at the running back or receiver position, Lampley's efforts, combined with the return game contributions, should make 2012 a solid year. Expect him to push the 1,300 total yards mark and continue to be a threat in the return game. 

Honolulu—Larry Fedora stood off to the side behind a curtain, listening, perhaps thinking.

His Southern Miss football team had just beaten Nevada 24-17 in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, and three of his players were speaking to the media. He was next.

The motionless four-year head coach appeared like a man with a torn heart.

Understand Fedora will never coach those three players again, or any other Golden Eagles' players. His ticket is punched to Chapel Hill, NC, where he will become the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, effective immediately.

It can be a cruel world for a head coach in college football, where caring for young 18 to 22-year-old men is paramount and switching schools is oftentimes a necessary evil to help further your career. Of course, one knows this going in, but that doesn't make it any easier when it happens.

Just ask Fedora.

"It's a difficult thing to be honest with you," Fedora said after taking a moment and a deep breath to let the question sink in. "I've got a lot of my heart and soul in this football team, and this staff does, so it's bittersweet. But we couldn't have gone out any better with this football team...The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl has been an unbelievable experience for our football team.

"Our players experienced things this week that obviously they've never had the opportunity to experience, and some of 'em may never have the opportunity again. But this will be a memory for them for the rest of their lives."

In a game which Southern Miss was held scoreless through the first quarter for the first time this season, the Golden Eagles were able to make big plays when they needed to in all three facets of the game.

A blocked punt by Southern Miss' Tim Green was recovered in the end zone for the game's first touchdown early in the second quarter by Tray Becton-Martin, who became the 25th player to score this year for the Golden Eagles, which leads the FBS.

Nevada quickly responded with consecutive touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead, but a 48-yard field goal by Danny Hrapmann cut the lead to 14-10.

On the ensuing kickoff return, the Golden Eagles forced and recovered a fumble at Nevada's 24-yard line with just over a minute remaining in the half. Seven plays later, quarterback Austin Davis connected with Tracy Lampley for a two-yard touchdown pass and 17-14 lead going into the break.

An assortment of punts, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs by Southern Miss started the sloppy second half before Nevada kicked a 37-yard field goal to tie the game at 17 late in the third quarter.

It would stay knotted at 17 until Davis threw his second scoring pass of the game to Kelvin Bolden with six minutes remaining. The four-yard touchdown was all the Golden Eagles would need to notch coveted win No. 12 on the season. Southern Miss' defense sealed it with a big fourth-down stop moments later.

"They have found a way to win 12 football games," Fedora said.

"It hasn't always been pretty, but they haven't blinked in the face of adversity. And that's why these guys will be successful in life. No matter what's thrown at 'em, whatever the world throws at 'em, they're gonna be successful.

"I'm proud to have been the coach of arguably the greatest team in the history of Southern Miss football. To be 12-2, to be conference champs and Hawaii Bowl champs in the same year. It's just a tremendous, tremendous thing for this football team.

"Twenty years or 30 years from now they'll remember beating the No. 6 team [Houston Cougars] in the country to be Conference USA champs in 2011. And then they'll remember this trip to Hawaii and everything that they took in this week."

And what will he remember 10 years from now when he looks back?

"The thing that I'm going to remember is that Southern Miss is a special place. And the kids that we had they were special kids," Fedora said.

"They are blue-collar, bring their lunch pail and go to work every day. Whether it was the last Thursday practice that we had this week or Aug. 5, our first practice. It looked exactly the same. And that's one thing we said as coaches, 'Wow. Look at these guys.' I mean, it was like that all year, so this is a special group.

"This staff was special, too. These guys did a tremendous job. And their wives and their families and the sacrifices that they made so their husbands could to the job that they did. I can't say enough about them also."

Fedora is now done coaching at Southern Miss, but his torn heart will always bleed a little Black and Gold.

Kevin Riley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Right now, you just have to ask yourself when these men will learn.

Seriously, how many careers and lives have to be ruined before we get it through our thick skulls? How much money will it cost? How close to rock bottom does somebody have to destroy their reputation before they understand?

Sure, LeGarrette Blount is doing pretty well for himself. Looks like he got benched today (shout-out to Rotoworld for always being on top of their game), but at least he’s past his epic sucker punch after a fantastic 2010 rookie campaign.

Look, I love a brawl as much as the next person—hell, baseball needs more of them!—but the Hawaii Bowl just isn’t the place for it.

I can’t be the only one who feels like we see a brawl or fight twice a week. At this point, it’s ruining the effect for me! I used to get excited, but I’m getting bored with it all. I’m becoming numb to the brawl!  

Guys, ladies, whoever...let’s pick our spots a little bit more wisely, shall we? One would think the holiday spirit would be in full effect, but nope, not at the highly respected and coveted Hawaii Bowl.

Yes, the same Hawaii Bowl that people forgot all about.

I’m glad players weren’t ejected for this mini-scrum, but it may just be about time. I’m sick of these kids ruining the mystique of the brawl.

Yancy Gates would be ashamed of these guys.

Unless you’re going out swinging, you might as well just be thrown out.

Save the brawls for the real men who are willing to throw down—hockey players. Those guys know how to throw down daily.

I know we all look up to our favorite professional athletes, but children, teenagers and young adults—let’s leave it to them. Let’s keep the brawling to a minimum. 

The Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles got robbed out of a more high profile game and they'll prove it by blowing out Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl.

The Conference USA champs finished the season at 11-2 after spanking then-sixth ranked Houston 49-28.

Southern Miss then thought they would be heading to the Liberty Bowl, which usually reserves a spot for the C-USA champion.

However, they were denied and will be facing Nevada on Saturday instead. And frankly, the Wolf Pack don't stand a chance.

Nevada does have the nation's eighth best rushing attack, averaging 251.8 yards per game. But they haven't beaten anyone near the caliber of Southern Miss. They've only played two games against ranked opponents, when they were embarrassed by Oregon and Boise State.

The Golden Eagles have the 14th highest scoring offense in college football, putting up more than 37 points per game. They have scored at least 44 points in six games this season and even dropped 63 on Navy in October.

After frustrating the NCAA's all-time leading passer Case Keenum, the Golden Eagles defense should have no trouble with freshman quarterback Cody Fajardo. Keenum had only thrown three interceptions all season, but Southern Miss picked him off twice.

The Golden Eagles also have some added motivation coming into this game, as it will be the last under head coach Larry Fedora. Fedora will be coaching at North Carolina next season.

This year's team already has the most wins in Southern Miss history and they're determined to add to it. With a potent offense and some emotional incentive, the Golden Eagles will destroy Nevada on Saturday.

Prediction: Southern Miss 45, Nevada 27

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles were disappointed that they didn't land in a more high-profile bowl game, but they'll make up for it by spanking Nevada on Christmas Eve.

The Conference USA champs finished the season at 11-2 after beating down then-sixth ranked Houston 49-28.

Southern Miss then thought they would be heading to the Liberty Bowl, which usually reserves a spot for the C-USA champion.

However, they were denied and will be facing Nevada on Saturday instead. And frankly, the Wolf Pack don't stand a chance.

Nevada does have the nation's eighth best rushing attack, averaging 251.8 yards per game. But they haven't beat anyone near the caliber of Southern Miss.

The Golden Eagles have the 14th highest scoring offense in college football, putting up more than 37 points per game. They have scored at least 44 points in six games this season and even dropped 63 on Navy in October.

After frustrating the NCAA's all-time leading passer Case Keenum, the Golden Eagles defense should have no trouble with freshman quarterback Cody Fajardo.

Southern Miss also has some added motivation coming into this game, as it will be the last under head coach Larry Fedora. Fedora will be heading to North Carolina next season.

This year's team already has the most wins in Southern Miss history and they're determined to add to it. With a potent offense and some emotional incentive, the Golden Eagles will show everyone why they should have been in a better bowl game.

Prediction: Southern Miss 45, Nevada 27

When: Dec. 24, 2011 | 8:00 PM ET

Where: Aloha Stadium; Honolulu, HI

Betting Line: Southern Miss (-6.5)

Predicted Score: Southern Miss 33, Nevada 27

Southern Miss Breakdown

Southern Miss finished the regular season 10-2 and took first in the Conference USA eastern division. In the C-USA Championship, the Golden Eagles took down undefeated Houston in one of the year's most stunning upsets.

The Golden Eagles have a well-balanced offense led by senior quarterback Austin Davis. Davis has thrown for 3,331 yards and 28 touchdowns, while rushing for another 332 yards and four scores.

They have a rushing attack that averages over 200 yards per game, but isn't led by any one player.

Six players have at least 59 carries; and each of them have scored between two and four touchdowns. No player has over 107 carries.

Southern Miss also boosts a very good defense.

They allow just over 21 points per game, which is good for 29th in the nation.

They held Houston's high-powered offense, which averaged over 50 points per game, to only 28 points in the Conference USA Championship.  

The Golden Eagles rank in the Top 31 teams in the country in passing offense, rushing offense, scoring offense and scoring defense.

Nevada Breakdown

The Wolf Pack came into this season with little expected of them, having lost their two best players, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vai Taua, to the NFL.

Nevada has not only exceeded expectations by going 7-5 and making a bowl game—they have one of the nation’s best offenses, averaging over 520 yards per game.

They run an insert-player-here offense.

Instead of one guy leading their offense, they use two quarterbacks (Cody Fajardo is the starter), both of whom are duel threats.

They have three players with over 100 rush attempts and seven players with 100 rushing yards or more.

Nevada's defense ranks second in the WAC in total defense (372.0 yards), passing defense (226.6 yards) and interceptions (15).

Star defensive tackle Brett Roy anchors their defense; he leads the conference in sacks with 10 and in tackles for a loss with 18.5.

Game Breakdown

Many people see the records of these two teams and expect Nevada to get destroyed, but I wouldn't count on that.

Southern Miss has been one of the country's best non-AQ schools all season, but they have two inexplicable losses to Marshall (6-6) and UAB (3-9).

If they play sloppy, as they did in those two games, then this game could get ugly for the Eagles, though they should be rested up and ready for this bowl.

The Wolf Pack have a high powered and confusing offense, but when facing good defenses, as the Golden Eagles have, their inexperience shows.

This game could be a lot closer than it seems on paper, but the Golden Eagles will come out on top.

Honolulu—It's been a long two-and-a-half weeks since Southern Miss head football coach Larry Fedora stood on top of Robertson Stadium's field—and on top of the world—in Houston and said his Golden Eagles should play in a Bowl Championship Series game.

Southern Miss, of course, had just won the Conference USA championship by beating the undefeated and No. 6 ranked Houston Cougars who were assured of a BCS bowl game had they won. Therefore, Fedora's plea made sense—just not in the insane world of postseason college football.

So, the No. 21 Golden Eagles (11-2) were quickly dismissed from any BCS bowl game conversation and sent to play in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl 5,500 miles away from Hattiesburg, Miss. against the Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5) on Christmas Eve (7:00 p.m. CT, ESPN).

Not to mention, the Golden Eagles aren't even Fedora's football team any more, not technically at least. On Dec. 9, the four-year Southern Miss leader was introduced as the next head coach at North Carolina. Fedora is set to take over for the Tar Heels after coaching in the Hawaii Bowl.

If the extreme joy from Southern Miss' C-USA championship win on Dec. 3 has been dampened by these happenings remains up for debate.

What is not, though—even if some in Mississippi are still upset because they expected a bowl game near home, and would have traveled to the C-USA title game in Houston had they known otherwise—is that the Golden Eagles themselves are regathered and keenly set on living in the moment and enjoying the task at hand.

"Coming up here we understood that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come to Hawaii," senior linebacker Ronnie Thornton said at the bowl press conference on Tuesday. "And a lot of the seniors got together and we just basically said that: 'This may be our last time being together.'

"So we just wanted to come out and have a little fun and spend time with each other. It's turned out great thus far and we have some pretty interesting upcoming events that we're supposed to attend. We're looking forward to having fun and going out with a bang."

While tours around the island of Oahu, trips to water parks and sunset dinners on the beach might not be music to the ears of those unable to make the cross-country and cross-ocean jaunt, that doesn't seem to be inhibiting the joy of those who did.

"We're excited to be here," senior quarterback Austin Davis said. "And a lot of guys, this will be their only time to ever come to Hawaii and experience this, and I think that was the big deciding factor to be here, and we'll get to play a good football team on Saturday; so it will be good.

"But we don't want to get too caught up in the vacation part and forget about the football season that we have. And the season that we've had has been special, and I would hate to end it on a bad note. We want to finish strong and get (win) number 12."

The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl will be the 22nd all-time bowl appearance for Southern Miss and its tenth straight. The Golden Eagles are 2-0 all-time against the Wolf Pack from the Western Athletic Conference, having beat them at home in 1997 (35-19), and at Nevada in 1998 (55-28).

This is the program's second trip to the Hawaiian islands. On Oct. 15, 1977, Southern Miss beat the Hawaii Rainbows 28-26.

The Golden Eagles arrived in Honolulu over the weekend and have been enjoying some free time. Tuesday was the team's first day of practice.

"We just got finished with our first practice and guys were focused in well, did a great job at practice today, we had plenty of energy," Fedora said.

"We've got a group of 21 seniors who've done a tremendous job of leading this football team to this point, and they understand what it's taken to get here; the 11 wins and what we've had to do to get to this point.

"And I'll be honest with you guys, you can go out and watch practice and you wouldn't know if it was August 5, which was the first day of practice for us, or it was the next-to-the-last practice for us. They're still practicing the same way so they understand what it takes."

Southern Miss' senior class is shooting for its 34th victory since the beginning of 2008. A win over Nevada would match the 1952-1955 teams for its best four-year cycle for victories.

"They understand how important it is," Fedora said. "We're not just playing another game. We're making history at Southern Miss. There's no team that's ever won 12 games in the history of 100 years of football."

Thornton was quick to remind Fedora that no Southern Miss team had ever won 11 games, either.

"And (Thornton's) right, this is the last time that this team as we know it—the staff and trainers and equipment managers and everybody—will be together. The last time.

"So we're going to make the most of it," Fedora said.

Kevin Riley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Although the 2011 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl won't feature the Hawaii Warriors, it should still have a festive atmosphere and an exciting football game as the Nevada Wolf Pack take on the No. 21 Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

Nevada had a very solid season even though quarterback Colin Kaepernick advanced to the NFL. The Wolf Pack finished 7-5 overall with a 5-2 record in the WAC, and they had a very explosive and diverse offense as usual. The running back tandem of Lampford Mark and Mike Ball gave Nevada the No. 8 running game in the nation, and the passing game, which implemented a dual-quarterback system, was excellent as well.

Southern Miss had a magical regular season that culminated in a victory over then-undefeated Houston to win the Conference USA Championship and knock the Cougars out of BCS contention. Like Nevada, Southern Miss has a very well-balanced offense led by quarterback Austin Davis and a host of effective rushers, including Jamal Woodyard.

While pride and prize money for the respective schools is mostly what is on the line, it would be great for either of these non-BCS teams to score a win in a fairly well-known bowl. Most are expecting the Golden Eagles to win, but these are two similar and evenly matched teams, so it should be a good one.

Where: Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii

When: Saturday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Listen: ESPN Radio 94.5 FM (Nevada) and WJDX 620 AM (Southern Miss)

Betting Line: Southern Miss (-6.5)

Key Storyline: Can Larry Fedora Leave Southern Miss on Top?

After four winning seasons at Southern Mississippi, head coach Larry Fedora is moving on to become the head man at North Carolina. The opportunity is a well-deserved one for Fedora as he has helped establish the Golden Eagles as one of the better non-BCS teams in the country on a yearly basis.

Fedora will remain with Southern Miss to coach in the Hawaii Bowl, though, and he will surely want to leave a good, long-lasting impression. I can't imagine that Southern Miss fans fault him too much for jumping at a higher-profile job, and I think Fedora wants to leave them with one last win to cap off a fantastic season.

Who Might Not Play for Nevada: WR Shane Anderson

Nevada senior wide receiver Shane Anderson has missed the team's past two contests after suffering a concussion, and he is questionable for the Hawaii Bowl. Anderson wasn't very involved in the offense over his past few seasons, but he has developed into a reliable target this year.

In 10 games Anderson has reeled in 40 passes for 526 yards and two touchdowns, and he has developed into one of the team's more consistent options in the passing game. This particular contest figures to be fairly fast-paced, so the absence of Anderson could certainly adversely affect the Wolf Pack offense.

Who Might Not Play for Southern Miss: RB Kendrick Hardy

Southern Miss running back Kendrick Hardy has played in only five games this season because of a shoulder injury, and it appears as though he will once again be unavailable on Saturday as he is listed as doubtful. Hardy was a major part of the Golden Eagles offense last season with 903 yards and seven scores and would have been so again this year.

Hardy was on pace for a fantastic 2011 campaign as he rushed for 426 yards and two touchdowns in five games, but his season has been cut short. While the Golden Eagles would love to have him, they haven't missed a beat since he went down as they average more than 200 rushing yards per game as a team.

What They're Saying

After defeating Houston in the Conference USA Championship Game, Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora's name came up plenty in head coaching searches across the country. While Fedora will stay with Southern Miss through the Hawaii Bowl, he will take over as North Carolina's head coach next season, according to Al Jones of the Sun Herald.

"I will be named the next coach at the University of North Carolina," (Fedora) said. "I will coach this team through the bowl game and we will win our 12th game of the year.

"My time has been awesome at Southern Miss and it was an agonizing decision for me to make."

Nevada Player To Watch: WR Rishard Matthews

The Wolf Pack are more well-known for running the ball out of their famed pistol formation, but the passing game has also been quite effective this season. Perhaps the biggest reason for that is the play of senior wide receiver Rishard Matthews, who has made a major leap since last season to become one of the premier pass-catchers in the college game.

Matthews has hauled in 91 balls for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns on the season, making him a threat that opposing defenses must constantly account for. His mere presence not only makes Nevada's aerial attack dangerous, but it opens up lanes for the running backs as well. How successful Southern Miss is in containing Matthews could directly correlate to the game's result.

Southern Miss Player To Watch: QB Austin Davis

Like Nevada, Southern Miss is a team that can do damage on the ground and through the air. The biggest reason for that is senior quarterback Austin Davis. While Davis is probably slightly more adept as a passer with 3,331 yards and 28 touchdowns this season, he is a capable runner as well and a big part of the Golden Eagles' option attack.

The dual-threat nature of Davis makes him very difficult for opposing defenses to compensate for. Even if Davis looks as though he is rolling out for an option play, he could just as easily turn it loose on a pass down the field. Nevada will have to figure out something defensively in order to contain him in the pocket or else it could be a long day for the Wolf Pack.

Key Matchup: Nevada Front Seven vs. Southern Miss Option

Defensively, Nevada ranked in the middle of the pack this season in most categories, which may not seem that bad, but the Wolf Pack played a fairly easy WAC schedule. Mediocrity on defense may have been enough to make a bowl game, but it most certainly won't be good enough to slow down Southern Miss and its option running game.

The Golden Eagles have a host of running backs that can get the job done, and quarterback Austin Davis is a good runner also. Because of that, Nevada will have to be aggressive and decisive against the option. The Wolf Pack must still be wary, though, as Davis proved in the Conference USA Championship Game that he could put the team on his back as a passer as well.

Prediction: Southern Miss 35, Nevada 24